Idaho bill would allow guns on campus like handful of states including Oregon

BOISE — Idaho would join a handful of states that allow students,
teachers and others to bring guns to class under a measure resurrected
by gun advocates in the Legislature on Monday.

A bill before the
Senate State Affairs Committee would allow retired law enforcement
officers and people with Idaho's enhanced concealed-carry permit to
bring firearms to campus. A similar measure failed in 2011.

Firearms
would still be prohibited in student dormitories or residence halls,
and facilities seating more than 1,000, such as stadiums or concert
halls.

The motion comes on the heels of two fatal shootings on
college campuses last week. A student shot and killed a 21-year-old
teaching assistant at Purdue University in Indiana Tuesday, and a
22-year-old football player was shot during an argument outside a South
Carolina State University dormitory Friday. Sen. Curt McKenzie, one of
the proposal's authors, said Monday arming students and faculty could
actually prevent school shootings like this.

Enhanced concealed
carry permits in Idaho require completion of an eight-hour training
class with an NRA-certified instructor, including firing at least 98
rounds. An applicant must be 21 or older to qualify. In 2011, the
previous bill to allow concealed weapons on Idaho college campuses
failed in the Senate. It didn't include the requirement for an enhanced
concealed weapons permit, which was only created in Idaho last year.

McKenzie,
who's hoping these changes will win his measure favor, also said
there's no evidence pointing to an uptick in gun crimes at schools with
similar statutes.

Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, Mississippi, Utah and
Wisconsin allow concealed carry on college campuses, while 23 other
states — including Idaho — leave it up to the colleges to decide.
Twenty-one states ban guns on campus.

There are still questions
about how the bill would affect fraternity and sorority houses. These
are often not owned by the university or designated as residence halls,
even though many are on campus, so it is unclear whether occupants would
be allowed to keep firearms in their rooms.

McKenzie said that might be left up to schools to decide.

Reached
Monday, Boise State University spokesman Greg Hahn said his school's
current policy bans firearms except in the hands of peace officers, ROTC
members during the course of training, and those with prior written
permission from the head of campus security.

"We're really comfortable with the way things are now," Hahn said. "It's proven to be a really safe campus."

"Shooters are cowards and bullies," she said. "If they think there is a chance someone has a gun, they won't act."

But
some lawmakers think armed students trying to take down a gunman would
lead to mayhem. Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said she was open to
retired law enforcement officers carrying on campus, but balked at the
idea of students toting firearms to class.

Mixing guns with the "beer culture" on many campuses could have devastating effects, she said.

"All
I see is bullets zinging around," Ringo said. "I would certainly hate
to get a phone call that there had been a party, and there had been a
shooting."

Carrying a concealed weapon while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs is a misdemeanor now, but the new proposal would
mandate violators lose their concealed carry license for three years.

Proponents argue the new bill's added penalties would be enough to stop students from bringing a gun to a keg party.

Among those who voted against the 2011 measure was Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls.

Davis's
23-year-old son, Cameron Wade Davis, was shot and killed by a fellow
Boise State University student with a concealed weapons permit at an
off-campus party in 2003.